Surveying biodiversity in Panama

Alex Monro

In this video plant researcher Alex Monro surveys biodiversity in Panama and discusses the highs and lows of life in the field.

The project

La Amistad National Park, Panama

The main reason for Alex’s trips to Panama is to record biodiversity on behalf of the Darwin Initiative. The aim of the Darwin Initiative is to support the conservation of biodiversity around the world. It is funded by the British Government (Defra). Alex's role in the project is to find out what plant species are there and how common or rare different species are.

In this video Alex is surveying biodiversity in one of the least explored and largest national parks of Central America, La Amistad. The park spreads over 4,000 square km and contains over 3,000 plant and over 130 amphibian and reptile species.

Knowing and recording what is there will help people manage the park and conserve its rich biodiversity.